The winds of change are blowing heavily over in the land of James Bond. As we’ve reported numerous times on the site, Daniel Craig has made it all too clear that he’s not very interested in continuing on the with Bond franchise, but there’s another heavy hitter who seems to be ready to move on.

At the Hay Festival of Literature in Wales, acclaimed British director Sam Mendes expressed his desire to hand the reins over to a new director, THR reports.

“It was an incredible adventure, I loved every second of it,” Mendes said of his five years working on the thriller franchise. “But I think it’s time for somebody else.”

Last year’s SPECTRE was Mendes’ second time at the helm of the Bond franchise, the first time being 2012’s SKYFALL, which may very well take the cake as one of the strongest Bond films since GOLDENEYE. As beloved as SKYFALL was, however, SPECTRE didn’t do a whole lot for the franchise’s credibility.

But don’t think the disappointing film is the reason he’s stepping down. In all likelihood, the filmmaker just needs to work on something more personal in order to recharge his creative battery.

“I’m a storyteller. And at the end of the day, I want to make stories with new characters.”

While Mendes’ departure from the project was mostly expected, this still seems to reinforce the idea that the studio needs to start off the next film with a clean slate — new Bond and all.

In addition to essentially announcing his retirement from the franchise, Mendes also went on to let the wind out of fans’ sails. Ever since Craig expressed his discontent with being Bond, fans have been pushing for actors Idris Elba and Tom Hiddleston to take his place. 

That, Mendes states, is a fool’s errand.

“It’s not a democracy … Barbara Broccoli decides who is going to be the next Bond, end of story.”

What do you think of Sam Mendes’ departure from the Bond franchise? Who would you like to see helm the next film? Let us know your thoughts down below!

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SOURCE: THR